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T H I S D O C U M E N T IS T H E P R O P E R T Y OP H I S B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y ' S
Printed
for the War Cabinet.
GOVERNMENT
December 1941.
Copy No.
SECRET.
W.M. (41)
136th Conclusions.
TO BE K E P T U N D E R LOCK A N D K E Y .
It is requested that special care may be taken to
ensure the secrecy of this document.
WAR
CABINET
136 (41).
CONCLUSIONS
of a Meeting of the War Cabinet held at 10 Downing
S.W. 1, on Friday, December 26, 1941, at 11-30 A . M .
Street,
Present:
The Right Hon.
C.
R.
ATTLEE,
M.P., Lord Privy Seal (in the Chair).
The Right Hon. Sir J O H N A N D E R S O N ,
M.P., Lord President of the Council.
The Right Hon. A . G R E E N W O O D , M.P.,
Minister without Portfolio.
The Right Hon. Sir K I N G S L E Y W O O D ,
M.P., Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Right Hon. E R N E S T B E V I N , M.P.,
Minister of Labour and National
Service.
The following were also present:
The Right Hon. H E R B E R T M O R R I S O N ,
M.P., Secretary of State for the
Home Department and Minister of
Home Security.
The Right Hon. A . V . A L E X A N D E R ,
M.P., Eirst Lord of the Admiralty.
The Right Hon. V I S C O U N T C R A N B O R N E ,
Secretary of State for Dominion
Affairs.
Captain
the
MARGESSON,
Right
Hon. H. D.
of State
M . P . , Secretary
for War.
Hon. Sir A R C H I B A L D
Bt., M . P . , Secretary of
State for Air.
The
Right
SINCLAIR,
Sir O R M E S A R G E N T , Deputy UnderSecretary of State, Foreign Office.
Secretariat.
, Sir EDWARD BRIDGES.
Mr. L. F. BURGIS.
[23282]
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4 4
WAR CABINET 136 ( M ) .
CONTENTS.
Minute
No.
Subject.
1
The Prime Minister's Visit to the United States..
2
The Press
3
The Prime Minister of New Zealand
4
5
Timor
St. Pierre and Miquelon 6
U.S.S.R.
Trade U n i o n Delegation.
7
Day of National Prayer
8
Naval, Military and Air Operations
Air Operations. Naval Operations. Military Operations: U.S.S.R.
Libya.
H o n g Kong.
9
Air Raid Damage
The Prime
Ministers
Yisit to^the
-United States.
1. The Lord Privy Seal read to the War Cabinet a telegram
from the Prime Minister (Grey No. 105) as to the probable length
of his stay. The Prime Minister proposed to spend a day or two in
Canada before returning to this country.
The War Cabinet took note of this statement.
The Press.
(Previous
Reference:
W . M . (41) 1 3 5 t h
Conclusions,
M i n u t e 3.) 2. Further reference was made to the articles which had
appeared in certain newspapers on Christmas Eve to the effect that
German troops were massing for a move into Spain and that Marshal
Petain had resigned. A telegram from Washington (No. 6029)
showed that some irritation had been caused in the United States
by the fact that credence had apparently been given in London to
these reports. A reply had been sent (telegram No. 7245) to
Washington explaining the circumstances in which these reports,
which had arrived in the early hours of the morning, had been given
prominence by certain newspapers.
The two main points made in discussion were: first, that it
would be desirable that the Editors should again be reminded that
it was contrary to the public interest that prominence should be
given to rumours of this kind; secondly, that consideration should
be given to the question whether the mechanism could be improved
for giving guidance to the Press in regard to reports which were
received very shortly before the papers went to press.
The Lord Privy Seal undertook to take up these points
with the Ministry of Information.
The Prime
Minister of
New Zealand.
3. The Lord Privy Seal read a Christmas message from the
Prime Minister of New Zealand to the Prime Minister and the War
Cabinet. The Prime Minister would no doubt send a personal
replyj but he thought that a message should also be sent from the
War Cabinet as a whole.
The War Cabinet—
Invited the Lord Privy Seal to despatch a message in their
name.
T i m
o r .
( P r e v i o u s
R e f e r e n c e -
W . M . (41) 1 3 5 t h
Conclusions,
M i n u t e 2.)
4. Attention was drawn to telegram No. 551 from the Prime
Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Prime Minister
Zealand, repeated to the Secretary of State for Dominion
Affairs (No. 823). This telegram gave a wholly misleading and
inaccurate account of events.
It was agreed that it was important that a strong reply should
be sent, pointing out how misleading was the account of events
contained in this telegram. A t the same time, it was probably
better not to do this until the Australian Government has agreed
to send troops to Timor to replace the Dutch portion of the joint
Australian-Dutch contingent. (A telegram on this, latter point had
been despatched immediately the consent of the Dutch Prime
Minister had been obtained.)
o f
N
e
w
The War C a b i n e t Invited the Lord President of the Council and the
Secretary of State, for Dominion Affairs to arrange for
a suitable reply to be sent i n due course to the telegram
from the Australian Government referred to.
[23282]
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2
mmmimmmmmmmmum
St. Pierce and
5. The Lord President of the Council reported that on the
24th December Free French naval forces under the command of
Miquelon.
Admiral Muselier, and on instructions from General de Gaulle, had
rallied the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon to Free France. The
Vichy Governor had been arrested, and a plebiscite was being held
that day of the inhabitants, who had received Admiral Muselier
enthusiastically.
This action was entirely contrary to the assurance given by
General de Gaulle that he would not put into operation the Free
French plan to rally these islands, since the United States Govern­
ment was strongly opposed to Free French action in connexion with
St. Pierre. The Free French Commissioner for Foreign Affairs
(M. Dejean), who had been summoned to the Foreign Office, had
admitted that General de Gaulle had given orders for the operation
to be effected. The excuse given, namely, that General de Gaulle,
when he gave his assurance, had been unaware of the Canadian
Government^ intention, with the approval of the United States
Government, to send personnel to take control of the wireless station
by peaceful means, was entirely beside the point. The matter had
been further complicated by a public announcement by Mr. Hull to
the effect that the United States and Canadian Governments were
examining what steps could be taken to restore the status quo in the
islands. Any such action seemed to be out of the question.
The War Cabinet—
(a) Invited the Lord President of the Council to send for
General de Gaulle and inform him that his conduct in
this matter could not be tolerated, and had placed us in
a position of great embarrassment.
(b) Invited the Lord President of the Council to ensure that
the Prime Minister was acquainted with the full facts
of the position, and to ask him to discuss the position
with President Roosevelt and Mr. Mackenzie King, who^
was expected to arrive that day at Washington.
(c) Invited the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to send
a telegram to the Canadian Government, informing them
of (6) above, and asking them to take no action in regard
to any proposal to restore the status quo in the islands.
U.S.S.R.
Trade Union
Delegation.
(Previous
Reference:
W . M . (41) 1 2 2 n d
Conclusions,
M i n u t e 4.)
6. Attention was drawn to telegram No. 53 Hectic reporting
that the Soviet Trade Union Delegation to the United Kingdom
were travelling from Moscow with the Foreign Secretary. The
latter asked that the necessary arrangements should be made for
their accommodation on the train and their reception in London,
and that Sir Walter Citrine should be informed.
It was understood that the T.U.C. were acting as hosts to the
Soviet Trade Union Delegation, but it was agreed that His
Majesty's Government should participate in the arrangements for
the Delegation^ reception.
The War C a b i n e t ^
Asked the Foreign Office to arrange for the Secretary of
the Government Hospitality Fund to get in touch with
Sir Walter Citrine, and to concert plans with him for the
reception of the Delegation.
D a y of N a t i o n a l
Prayer,
(Previous
Reference:
W . M . (40) 2 3 7 t h
Conclusions,
M i n u t e 2.)
7. The Lord Privy Seal read a telegram which had been
received from the Prime Minister reporting that the President of
the United States had appointed the 1st January to be a Day of
National Prayer in the United States, and suggesting that urgent
consideration should be given, in consultation with the appropriate
authorities, to see whether it would not be desirable to make a
similar arrangement in the United Kingdom.
It was pointed out that on previous occasions a Sunday had
nearly always been chosen as a Day of National Prayer. Further,
there might be some difficulty in making the necessary arrangements
at short notice.
Nevertheless, the War Cabinet were in favour of the plan,
provided that it proved generally acceptable to the religious leaders
and was found practicable.
The War C a b i n e t Invited the Home Secretary to consult with the religious
leaders in the course of the day, and to report the result
to the Lord President of the Council, with a view to a
submission being made to The King that evening.
If it was decided to appoint the 1st January as a Day of
National Prayer in this country, the Dominion Govern­
ments should be notified of the action taken.
Naval, Military
and Air
Operations.
(Previous
Eef erenee:
W . M . (41) 1 3 4 t h
Conclusions,
M i n u t e 3.)
8.
The War Cabinet were given the following information :—
During an air attack on Rangoon on the 23rd December ten out
of sixty Japanese bombers, escorted by fighters, had been shot down.
A big German tanker, which had previously been hit, had again
been attacked in Spanish territorial waters. The tanker had now
been beached.
Air O p e r a t i o n s .
Naval
Operations.
Military
Operations.
U.S.S.R.
Libya.
Hong Kong.
Two tankers had been reported on fire in Haifa harbour on the
25th December. The Ulysses, which had been reported lost, was
now known to be safe.
Reports during the previous few days had indicated an increase
in our shipping losses.
The Russians reported that the morale of the German.
prisoners captured had been very low, and that operations were
proceeding favourably.
Operations in Libya were proceeding satisfactorily, though it
was possible that what remained of the German force might escape
through the gap at Agedabia. . Some 437 disabled enemy aircraft
had been collected on various aerodromes during our advance.
U p to the 26th December 4,300 German and 7,500 Italian
prisoners had been counted at Alexandria and in the base hospitals.
The garrison at Hong Kong had surrendered on the previous
day. It would seem that water supplies had been exhausted.
The War Cabinet took note of the above statements.
Air Raid
Damage.
9. The Minister of Home Security stated that some thirty-nine
enemy aircraft had operated against this country, mainly in the
Thames Estuary, on the previous night, six making a landfall. A
few incendiary bombs had been dropped at Walton-on-the-JNaze.
A t 9 - 45 A . M . on Christmas morning two aircraft had flown over
Fairlight, machine-gunning civilians. These aircraft had been
British machines. The incident was being enquired into.
The War Cabinet took note of this statement.
Great George Street, S. W. 1,
December 26, 1941.